We Can Worry Together
by herstorynerd
Summary: Peter is worried about his dads considering they're jobs are to save the world, and he feels like he's got no one to talk to, until Gwen lets him know he's not alone. Superfamily


**A/N: I don't own anything it all belongs to Marvel. Peter and Gwen are about 7 I know that some of what they say is probably going to make them sound older then that but they're like 1 graders in this story.**

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Today was the third time Peter had fallen asleep in school. When it was time for recess his teacher pulled him aside while the rest of his class made their way to the playground. She wanted to know why he kept falling asleep.

At first he wasn't sure what to say, but he knew he couldn't tell her the truth. So he lied and told her that he stayed up late reading, since his teacher strongly encouraged her students to read that was the lie he went for, in the hopes it would keep him out of trouble.

Luckily It worked, and she agreed not to send a note home to his parents. However she made herself very clear that if it happened again she would have to talk to his parents. After he promised her it wouldn't happen again she let him join his classmates outside.

Peter hated lying like that but he didn't know what else to say, maybe he used that lie because he wished it was actually the truth. After all it wasn't like he could tell his teacher the real reason that he had fallen asleep in class was because he spent all night worrying about his dads? There was no way she'd understand.

For as long as he could remember Peter believed that having two superheroes for parents was great, and a small part of him still did. Lots of people liked his dads after all Captain America and Iron Man were two of the world's best heroes. Not only did they keep the city safe, but they'd even helped save the world and Peter was proud of them.

But that all changed about a week ago Peter was getting ready for bed when his dads got a call that they were needed downtown. Nothing about this bothered Peter he had become used to this, it was cool watching parents suit up and he enjoyed having one of his aunts or uncles come over to watch him while his dads "went to work."

That night it was Aunt Pepper who came over. After saying goodnight and goodbye to his dads they went off, and he went to bed. Later that night he woke up to get a drink of water and heard the sound of voices talking.

Figuring his dads were home by now Peter decided to go down and see them. He was about to make his way downstairs when he heard Pepper ask them a question.

"You two look like a building fell on you, are you okay?"

"Actually one did." Tony said laughing it off the way only he would.

Tony's answer made Peter stop where he was.

"What?" Pepper said.

The way she sounded made Peter feel kind of anxious. Of course by now Pepper was accustomed to this sort of thing, truthfully she was more amazed that her guess about the building was correct than she was about the way the men looked..

Although Peter had no way of knowing that.

At that moment all Peter could think of was how big the buildings in New York were, and one of them coming down on this dads. He completely missed it when Steve said, "Yeah we'll be alright it was a really old building, I'm pretty sure it was going to fall sooner or later."

Peter crawled back to bed forgetting about his drink. Now all he wanted was to go back to sleep and forget what he heard. However he couldn't stop the scene from playing in his head and the more it played the more worried he became.

He tried telling himself that no matter what his dads went up against they could beat it, he tried to stop thinking about it. But it didn't work, and by the time Peter managed to fall asleep he'd imagined at least ten other ways they could get majorly injured or worse.

Peter woke up the next morning feeling like he hadn't slept at all. And even though the last thing he wanted to talk about was his dads getting hurt he couldn't help bringing the subject up over breakfast. Steve and Tony did their best to reassure him that everything was okay, explaining to him that the building falling was an isolated incident.

The conversation ended with Tony telling him, "Peter we're fine I promise." And Steve saying,"You don't have to worry about us Peter, we'll be okay."

It wasn't like he thought they were lying to him, but he knew they had to say those kinds of things, because that's what parents said to their kids.

Thankfully there was no trouble that night meaning his dads weren't going anywhere, so he didn't have any issues sleeping but two nights later when they went out again he couldn't sleep, and found himself waiting up for them yet again.

Which hadn't been a good idea seeing as there was school the next day. That was the first time he fell asleep in class. He hadn't even realized that he'd done it until his teacher called on him and he woke up having no clue what to say. Following this Peter swore he wouldn't allow that to happen again.

In spite of that promise the same thing happened the next time they went out. The next day in school Peter caught himself dozing and did his best to stay up, but to no avail. And once more his teacher had to wake him up with the entire class looking at him.

It kind of embarrassed Peter when his teacher woke him up in front of the class both times. He was just so tired he couldn't help himself. He was grateful that after that crime seemed to take a break on school nights. At least until last night, which resulted in him falling asleep again today.

Ordinarily when something like this bothered Peter and he didn't want to tell Steve or Tony, he would talk to one of his uncles or aunts but he was more than sure in this situation they would just back up what he'd already been told.

Sometimes Peter felt like when people looked at his dads they only saw Captain America and Iron Man. But they were more to Peter, and if something ever happened to them he didn't know what he would do. He felt so alone, he just wanted to tell someone how he was feeling, and he wanted someone to understand. Too bad he didn't know anyone else with superhero parents.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder snapping him out of his thoughts .

It was his friend and classmate Gwen.

"Are you okay Peter?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Well how come you're not swinging?"

"What?" He said sounding confused.

"It's just that normally most kids swing when they're on a swing." She said sitting on the swing next to him.

Peter was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he hadn't even realised that he was sitting on one of the swings.

The two sat there for a moment without saying anything.

"Are you sure you're okay, you know you can tell me anything Peter?

Gwen was a really good friend and he knew he could trust her and since he didn't feel like there was anyone else he could tell he began explaining everything to her.

"Do you feel any better?" She asked once he'd finished.

"A little bit." He said half-heartedly, truthfully it did feel good to tell someone else what was wrong. However he still wished that someone could understand why he felt this way.

That's why when Gwen said, "I know how you feel Peter." He was a little taken aback. Peter didn't say anything but he wondered how Gwen could understand.

"I know you're thinking how could I understand, well you know my dad's a cop right?"

He shook his head, remembering him from their class career day.

"Well it turns out some people don't like cops, some people hate them." Peter still didn't say anything he just listened.

"He almost always works in the daytime but sometimes he has to work at night." She paused for a second and then continued.

"Some guy just shot at him, Gwen looked like she might cry but she didn't, I mean he didn't get hit but he almost did, it happened while he was working at night a few months ago."

"I got up when I heard him come home, and then I heard him tell my mom, and I just kept thinking why would someone wanna hurt my dad just for doing his job?" She started rocking her swing lightly.

"And I couldn't fall back asleep, I think I stayed up all night trying to figure out why? Peter was almost sure that any second she was going to cry but she didn't she just continued

"In the morning I asked him and my mom about it and they tried to tell me I didn't need to worry that it was okay, but that didn't really change anything."

That was when Peter knew that Gwen knew exactly how he was feeling now.  
"Every time my dad would have to work at night I'd sit up in bed and wait to hear him come home." The same way that Peter had.

"And it started to affect me in school remember that time I fell asleep at lunch, it's cause I was up all night."

Peter remembered that day everyone including himself had laughed when she had fallen asleep in her mashed potatoes. Now he felt absolutely terrible for having done so.

"I'm sorry Gwen."

She seemed to understand why he had said this to her so she smiled at him.

"It's okay, I guess it was kind of funny when you think about it." They both laughed.

Then they talked about how parents always seemed to think they were the only ones allowed to be worried about people, but kids weren't supposed to worry. Peter asked her how she dealt with her sleeping issue and she explained that pretty soon just like she had, he would stop thinking about it so much and that he'd be able to sleep through the night.

"It gets a little easier each time they leave and come back okay, even if they have a few cuts or bruises the most important thing is that they're home." She said.

She also told him that no matter what a part of him was always going to worry about his dads and that it was okay. As long as he didn't let that worry take over his life. It was really great advice and Peter felt so much better.

They sat in silence for a minute or so when before Gwen looked at him.

"I guess my point is, even though my dad isn't a superhero I know what it feels like to worry about a parent."

She reached out her hand to Peter. "And I just figured that, maybe we could worry together."

Peter smiled at her and took her hand. "Thanks Gwen, and you're wrong your dad is a hero."

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**A/N: In the newest Spider-Man movie Gwen says, "****Everyday, for as long as I can remember, my father has left every morning and put a badge on his chest, and strapped a gun to his hip. And everyday, for as long as I can remember, I haven't known if he was gonna make it home." And that inspired me to write this. **


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